The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-12-10
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

speaks best for itself. 1t is short, anu
full of interest from the first line to the
last. Contrary to the general custom
OF giving to the country a half dozeu
columns of platitudes, Mr.. Cleveland
has devoted all of his message to a live
and pressing issue.
In treating it he takes strong demo-
cratic ground. He shows, beyond
| question or cavil, that a surplus exists.
| and that this surplus must increase,
concluding upon this point IN these
words:-"While the expedients thu;
| employed to release to the people the
| money lying idle i'll the treasury served
to avert immediate danger. u sur
| plus revenues have continued to accu-
| mulate, the excess for the present veal
| amounting on the LIST day of December
to $55 ,25S, 7O1 10, and estimated to
| reach the sum of $113,00O,O 900 on the
3Oth day of June next, at which date
| it is expected that this sum, added to
| prior accumulations, will swell the sur
| plus in the treasury to $4,000, OOO.'
He also demonstrates, clearly and
| unanswerably, the danger Of putting
in the hands of the United States trea'
sury the power to contract or expand
| the currency of the country.
Mr.. Cleveland then clearly and for
| chilly recommends 3 reduction OF re-
venue by a reduction of tariff duties
| where these can be made without in
Jury to the manufacturing interests OF
the country. Anticipating the usuaI
| cry of 'sfree trade" which is raised
whenever any reduction of federal tax
alton is proposed Mr.. Cleveland says:
"Our progress toward a wise cOnclu-
sion will not be improved by dwelling
upon the theories OF protection and free
trade. This savors too much OF handy
ing epithets. 1t is a condition which
confronts us-not a theory. Rellei
from this condition may involve a
slight reduction of the advantages
which we award our home produc-
tons, but the entire withdrawal OF
such advantages should not he conteM-
plated. The question of free trade is
absolutely irrelevant, and the persistent
claims made in certain quarters that
all efforts to relieve the people from
unjust and unnecessary taxation
are schemes of so.called free traders is
mischievous and far removed from any
consideration for the public good"
Mr.. Blaine has already justified this
reproof, as have the thick-and-thin
protection newspapers, but the Chica-
90 Tribune, the second strongest jour-
nal in the country which supports the
gentleman from Maine does not agree
with them. 1t says of the message:-
Full justification of President CIeve-
lands unprecedented course in devot-
;nr h;c onuuol communication IN ron.
gress exclusively to a consideration of
The surplus and the best means OF dis
tributing it, is to be found in the mes
sage itself The message is able and
statesmanlike, business like in style,
perspicuous in statement, clear i'll its
reasoning and irrefutable in its cOnclu,
sions. The message rises above party
lines and presents a common basis of
patriotic craftsmanship on which re-
publicans and democrats are bound by
every consideration of the public well
fare and OF political expediency to
stand together. The position taken in
the previous congress by the Minnesota
delegation and some other republicans
must be stoutly maintained by the re-
publican side of the house at this ses-
sion, or they and perhaps the party
which they represent will be over
whelmed. The message is simply the
tariff reduction plank of the republi-
can party, adopted in 1884, expanded.
1t is neither more nor less than a textual
sermon on that passage OF the resolu-
tions which promises to "'reduce the
surplus by correcting the inequalities
OF the tariff" and it is certainly none
the less binding OH the republicans for
being now SO Endorsed by a democratic
president. This is not a time, as the
message justly claims, for the discus
sion of the theories of protection and
free trade. Whatever difference of
opinion there may be on general prop
ositions of political economy no one
can honestly and intelligently deny
that the present state of the public
treasury necessitates reduction"
The New York Herald, the leading
Independent paper of the country
says:-''The message will not please
extremists Of either side, free trade or
protectionist. But it will, we believe,
please and satisfy the people at large,
and it puts upon both parties in con-
gress the solemn duty to relieve the
COultTy lTOIu d uOst seTlouS uaHSeI-
And Mr.. Randall, the leader of the
few ultra protection democrats in con-
gress disappoints the enemies Of the
democratic party, who would wreck
the financial interests of the country to
injure it, by asserting that ga large re-
duction will also be made in the rates
of duty on imports. There is certain
ly urgent need for such revision of the
tariff as will remove its inequalities
and antiquities, and SO simplify it
generally as to prevent the abuses now
so prevalent and so hurtful to the hon
est trader. There can be such enlarge
ment of the free list and reductions in
the dutiabie schedules as will reduce
the revenue from customs-without the
least injury, however, to any Of or
established and useful industries, and
without lowering in the least the re-
Enumeration now awarded to labor"
No public document has ever been
received with SO general favor, while
of courae bitterly assailed by the spec
ial interests which may be effected by
it. Every voter in America owes it TO
an intelligent discharge of his duty as
a citizen to read every word of it are
fully, calmly and fairly.